Happy trails
ast month, we decided to give our Qashqai a bit of a makeover, which included a new set of alloys. While it was up on the ramps having the new wheels ftted, I noticed something underneath the chassis that’s virtually invisible when the car is on the road – a tow bar. The fact that I hadn’t even noticed this in my six months with the car says something about how discreet it is. It turns out that the Qashqai is a bit of a dark horse, as earlier this year it was named 2014 Tow Car of the Year. Correction: it’s wasn’t the Nissan Qashqai that won the award, it was my Nissan Qashqai that won it; as the press shot (right) clearly shows, it was my actual car that was used for judging before it found its way to TopGear Towers.
The Qashqai can tow 1,800kg, which is basically a horsebox and horse, a fourberth caravan, one and a bit Nissan Qashqais or a livestock trailer and nine Stigs. Unluckily, we didn’t have nine Stigs to hand, but my colleague Ollie Marriage did have both a trailer and a stack of logs that needed shifting. The tow bar (a £550 option for the removable version) is stored under the boot lining with the spare wheel and simply snaps on and of without you having to get right down under the car, the operation taking just a few moments. And once the tow bar
GOODBYE 1598cc, 4cyl, FWD, 128bhp, 236lb ft 64.2mpg, 115g/km CO2 0–62mph in 10.5secs, 118mph 1535kg £ £24,430/ £24,430 Total mileage 6950 Driver Adam Waddell Why it’s here Can you get a true 4x4/SUV experience for hatchback money?
Lwas in place, hooking up the trailer was a piece of cake, with the reversing camera allowing Ollie to position the car perfectly. Once on the move, the Qashqai’s traction in the forest was pretty good despite being just 2WD, though one wonders how it might have fared had things been a bit muddier. The Tow Car Awards judges also praised the Qashqai’s performance on the open road, saying: “The frst thing we look for in a tow car is stability at speed – this is one of the Qashqai’s greatest strengths.” And despite our heavy load, that was our experience too.
Despite its documented capabilities as a tow car, however, the QQ is more likely to be seen on the school run than in the forest hauling logs, and thankfully it’s a capable allrounder in everyday life too. It’s economical and relatively refned, the quality of the interior is excellent and with a clever twotiered boot it is supremely practical. It’s good value too, giving many of the benefts of an SUV for the price of a hatch. These factors all contribute to Nissan selling 2.4m Qashqais to date and the model consistently appearing in the UK’s bestseller lists. The QQ isn’t exactly a car to set your pulse racing – my 1.6 diesel is the fastest and most powerful in the range – but as an everyday practical family car it does the job brilliantly. I never thought I’d say this, but I’ll actually miss it when it’s gone.